Reflections on the semester
What was one of your highlights as an Eco-Rep this semester?
What (skills, resources, etc.) would make you a more effective Eco-Rep next semester?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 7:10 AM
Monday, December 08, 2008
What (skills, resources, etc.) would make you a more effective Eco-Rep next semester?
22 Comments:
One of the highlights of being an eco-rep this semester was when people showed interest in what I was doing. Whenever I went to the 6th floor of my building they always seemed to ask questions and showed interest in the posters I was putting up and the audits I was doing.
Next semester I am going to try to have more meetings with each hall. I also want to find a place to put my posters that they won't get torn down.
I think we are all did a great job this semester!
~Briana
My highlight of being an ecorep was the bulb swap. For some reason this even had the most positive feed back and got the most interest. Also, the waste sort was very interesting and seemed like the data showed positive change. This positive change is very encouraging!
I really liked meeting the people on my floor, however, I wish they were more social and showed more interest. I'm going to have to try harder to spend more time in the building getting to know the people more. Maybe this way they would be more interested and show more excitement in what they could do. Also, I'm going to have to figure out the hall meetings, since once again I have a class during the Hall Council meetings.
-Rachel B
Probably the biggest highlight of being an eco-rep this semester was meeting all of my fellow eco-reps and now friends. I would like to give a special shout out to my complex buddies Winter and Holly....they were amazing!!!!! Arguably the best bulletin board partners ever and I will miss Holly while she is abroad in Spain next semester. I really enjoyed our Saturday morning bulletin board endeavors. Thanks guys! I also really enjoyed talking to people about the environment and what they can do as a student on campus because many people showed such genuine interest and concern and that is always very inspiring.
As for next semester, I would like to be a little more prompt with some of my assignments and be a little more involved with the larger eco-rep activities such as waste sorts and bulb swaps (or whatever new activities come around next semester). Also, I would really like to live up to the committee I chose to be on and put on a movie or a series of films not just for eco-reps but everyone else!
Thanks for a great semester everyone! Happy Holidays!
-Jen
One of the nicest aspects of being an eco-rep has been working with a group of passionate students willing to devote time to the environment. The Monday night meetings were never dull, and a certain level of motivation was always present among the smaller get-togethers. It was also great to get such a positive reaction form the greater student body during activities such as Light bulb swaps and trash sorts!
Thanks for the good times everyone!
-Hedda
One of this semester's highlights was meeting the residents of my hall when I went around for the kill a watt audit. They were all very polite, interested, and some were even inspiring. I met one guy who had covered up his overhead light and used lamps with cfls. He told me that he unplugged his microwave every time he used it, which inspired me to do the same.
Next semester, I think a program like doodle would be very effective to organize groups and manage time. Also, more organization on my part will make me more effective. I've just bought a calendar and its already helping me to keep track of myself.
Dan Hale
I loved meeting all my fellow Eco-Reps, and thoroughly enjoyed the community we created. It's so great to be involved with a bunch of people who care about the environment and being conscious as much as I do.
I want to echo Jen's shout out and say THANK YOU to Jen and Winter for being such awesome friends and partners this semester--it was ten times more fun with you girls around to work with. I'm feeling awfully sad to be gone next semester, and will miss you, too!
Even though I won't be able to continue with Eco-Reps in the spring, I know I could improve on my ability to reach out to my residents and get to know them better; maybe it's a product of living in dorms too long or being shy or something, but I didn't do as well meeting people in my hall as I would have liked. I think that could definitely have helped with my effectiveness as a peer leader.
Otherwise, it's been a great semester, and I wish you all happy holidays and a fantastic spring semester! Whoohoo Eco-Reps!
-Holly
One of the highlights of being an eco-rep this semester was definitely being able to take part in various events like the lightbulb swap on campus. It was so great to be able to interact with the rest of the students and see that people really do want to be more environmentally conscious and help out. It was also great to know that students in our halls in particular were taking advantage of composting and responding positively to our presence there.
Next semester I hope that we can have more interactions with the people in our hall as well as the RAs because we can all help each other. I also think that I personally need to work harder within our committees to accomplish our original goals from the beginning of the year. If we have more group-oriented meetings as well as discussions and days to bond I think we can achieve this..
Awesome job this semester, everyone!
Sarah
Being an eco-rep has been such a great experience this first semester and I absolutely cannot wait for second semester! I loved getting to know all of my fellow eco-reps and the Monday nights were always interesting and very fun. I really liked doing events such as the bulb swap and I hope I can get more involved in other events next semester. For next semester I want to further develop my skills in communicating with my peers and hopefully have some open discussion with them about what their thoughts are about the environment and how they can do even more while living in the dorms.
You guys are awesome and I can't wait for next semester!
Casey
One highlight of this semester was definitely the waste sort. I don't really know why digging through trash was so much fun, but it really was. It was also really interesting to bring the sorted trash into the Davis Center and see exactly where it goes (like the temperature controlled compost room... crazy!). I also really enjoyed meeting people like myself who care about the environment and are willing to devote time and energy to educating others and helping the school become more green.
Next semester I hope to take part in the bulb swap, mainly because everyone is saying how awesome it is, but also just to get more involved. I also hope to meet more people that live in the building i was assigned to, which is not the building i live in. They seemed very nice when doing surveys and getting the compost, yet i would like to talk to them more about what they want in their hall.
-Jenna
The thing I enjoyed most about being an Eco-Rep this semester was bringing back information and materials gathered in meetings and assignments and sharing them with residents. I found great pleasure when people came up to me and asked whether or not something can be composted or recycled. I am extremely pleased my my floor in general with issues such as composting and keeping lights turned off.
One thing I hope to be able to do next semester is to send mass emails out to the entire building. I am hoping this will insure that everyone here in Jeanne Mance is staying informed with all the great events we have going on.
-Emily Casey
One of my highlights for the semester was meeting my fellow ecoreps and learning from ones that have been ecoreps before. I have learned so much from this program and am so glad that I applied! Next semester I hope to have more events in my building, like the swap Rachel and I held. I think being an ecorep is enhancing my leadership and communication skills.
- Natalie Bishop
I think that my highlight being an Eco-Rep this semester was feeling like we were actually doing something. Which I know sounds strange, but a lot of environmental clubs/forums do a lot of talking, learning, and discussing, but when it comes down to it, I often don't feel like I am actually contributing much. Eco-Reps has given a great opportunity to really do hands on work, whether it be sorting through the trash outside the Davis center, taking out the compost buckets in the snow, or knocking on peoples doors to give them an energy efficient bulb. I really have appreciated this. I've also really enjoyed spending time with other Eco-Reps, both in meetings and other random events that have turned out to be really enjoyable. You guys are amazing people!
So overall, I am happy with how this semester went. Although it's true that I think there is still a lot of work to be done, and being an Eco-Rep has brought a lot of that to my attention, it's encouraging to know that we have made progress (at least I hope so!). I love the positive attitude everybody has brought, and am looking forward to achieving even more next semester.
My highlight would be getting to know other eco-reps and seeing their passion for the environment. The meetings always leave me feeling optimistic.
One resource I could tap into better for next semester would be the other eco-reps in my complex for program planning.
-Kae
I really enjoyed being an eco-rep this semester! It made me learn a lot about what other people know about, what they are interested in, and how to get them more interested. My favorite part was all of the events, and the fact that the meetings were a really good way to learn about more of them, and to announce others.
Next semester, the compost situation should be fixed, so hopefully we can get the residents excited about that again. Also, I want to get more involved in the events and take advantage of them. Overall, it was a great semester and I learned a lot!
One of the best parts of being an Eco-Rep this semester was definitely the bulb swap. Almost all of the students I talked to were totally excited to learn about how much energy they would be saving with their new, wicked cool light bulb!
It felt nice getting such positive feedback from the students because it made all of the efforts of our program worth-while.
Next semester I am going to try to be more organized with my time, so that I can devote more of it to the EcoRep program and its activities and efforts. I am going to try to get more involved with my residents so that they can be just as informed as I am when it comes to saving energy and living sustainably.
~Mimi~
This semester I most enjoyed learning about the many topics we discussed and how UVM or Burlington are specifically involved. Before this year I had no idea all our compost went to the Intervale which is local and in return we actually use the soil on campus. I liked seeing those kinds of local connections. For next semester I think we should be more active in helping people sort their waste, like what we've been doing in the DC. I still notice people not taking the time to sort out their recyclables, let alone compost. Having someone there as a reminder could really help!
-Lisa
One of the highlights for me was getting to know Holly and Jen this semester. Those two ladies are pretty awesome, and we made some sick bulletin boards together. I'm going to miss Holly next semester very much, but I know she'll have fun in Spain!
A skill that would make me a more effective Eco-Rep next semester is LESS PROCRASTINATION. I know how good it feels when I do some of the great things Eco-Reps has going on, but sometimes I find myself distracted with other things. Working on being more time efficient and proritizing are two things I really want to improve on. Can't wait!
--Winter
one of my highlights as an eco-rep this semester was setting up composting in christie.
if we did more workshops on successful programing for our respective dorms, i think that could be a great idea.
leigha
One of the highlights this semester for me was doing any of the optional eco rep events, liek the waste sort or monitoring the waste area in the Davis center. These events were awesome because in the meetings its really hard to meet and get to know other eco reps well, but at these special events i started to meet and get to know alot more so it just made the whole program and event feel more fun and like there were alot of people backing up the cause.
For next semester I think the biggest resource that I would really liek to get in contact more is all of the RA's in my building. I felt very frustrated sometimes with my building because I would do my job or go out of my way to try and tell them what was going on with the composting bins or such things, but still hardly anyone used the bins, and I remember once when looking at the recycling rooms, I found the sheets of my information that I handed out in the garbage...not even in the recycling! So I guess my big goal for next semester is really just trying to get the point of eco reps and most importnatly, living sustainably, across to the RA's and hopefully the students. THe RA's are a big resource becuaase, oen they live there and two, they are the driving force on their floor.
-Samantha
I loved doing things like the waste-sort and the waste-weigh-in. I really like interacting with other students.
Becoming more connected is definitely something I hope to work on. Also, devoting more time to being an Eco-Rep. There are so many things I want to do, but I just did not have the time to put in the effort, especially at the end of the year.
Stress management was definately a highlight. I also really enjoyed helping people sort their waste at the DC. I feel like I've gained a lot of reasourses from this program. I think it would have been beneficial if it were manditory for the Eco-Rep teams to have a meeting time every week. I'm disapointed that I won't be able to be an Eco-Rep next semester but I'm really happy that I got the opportunity to be part of this program. -Jess
The highlight for me during the first semester was the bulb swaps. It was so great to see the enthusiasm people had about getting a new energy-efficient light bulb. Although, the best part for me was that tons of kids already had them, which was really uplifting and made me feel a lot less alone in my environmental concerns.
For next semester I want to make more of a connection with the residents in my buildings. Sarah and I plan to attend more RA and Hall Council meetings and getting to know the RDs, RAs, ARDs a lot better and to make a connection, environmentally and to more easily collaborate on activities.
-Olivia
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